In a massive show of solidarity, 27 lakh power employees across India took to the streets on July 2, 2025, to protest against the privatisation of two Uttar Pradesh DISCOMS, namely Purvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam and Dakshinchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam. The demonstrations, led by the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE), saw widespread participation from power employees, junior engineers, and engineers in various districts and projects.
The Issue at Hand
The Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to privatize the two DISCOMS has been met with fierce resistance from power employees, who claim that this move will lead to a substantial increase in electricity tariffs and push poor consumers into darkness. According to Power Engineer leaders, wrong power purchase agreements in Uttar Pradesh result in Discoms paying Rs 6761 crore annually to private power generation companies without purchasing a single unit of electricity. Additionally, the state government’s departments owe Rs 14400 crore of electricity revenue.
The Impact on Consumers
The privatisation of DISCOMS is expected to end subsidies for consumers, leading to a significant increase in electricity costs. Currently, farmers and consumers below the poverty line are provided electricity at subsidised rates of Rs 3 per unit, while the cost of electricity is Rs 7.85 per unit. After privatisation, consumers will have to buy electricity at the rate of Rs 10 to 12 per unit, which will be unaffordable for many.
Nationwide Protests
The protests were not limited to Uttar Pradesh, with demonstrations held in major cities across the country, including Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Vijayawada, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Raipur, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Vadodara, Rajkot, Guwahati, Shillong, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Ranchi, Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Dehradun, Patiala, Jaipur, Kota, Hisar, and Lucknow. Farmers under the banner of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha consumers forum also joined the demonstrations in several places.
Call for One-Day Token Strike
The NCCOEEE has given a call for a one-day token strike on July 9, 2025, against the privatisation policies of the Central and State Governments. The strike is expected to be observed by 27 lakh power employees across the country. Power employees have warned that if the Uttar Pradesh government continues to ignore their demands, they will be forced to launch a more intense agitation.
United Stand
Shailendra Dubey, Chairman of the All India Power Engineers Federation, and P. Ratnakar Rao, Secretary General, emphasised that the power employees will not remain mute spectators if the UP Power Employees face any oppression. They alleged that the top management of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd and some big officials of the government seem to be in collusion with selected private houses, aiming to sell Discom assets worth lakhs of crores of rupees to private houses at throwaway prices.